An almost happy birthday
by Lau Ackerman
Summary: Levi realizes he forgot an important date and tries to fix it the best he can.


**I know I'm a little late for Hange's birthday, but I didn't have much time last week and I still wanted to give life to this idea that I got for these two.**

 **Also, this is kind of connected to my other fic, _And I'll tell you again and_ again, but it's not necessary to read it.**

 **I'll just shut up now and leave you with the story.**

Levi groaned for the eleventh time in the last half hour. He had been waiting for Hange, in her room, for a little longer than that, after she had declared that she was going to check on something in her laboratory and then she would be right there.

Well, he knew her well enough to know that he should have known better.

He exited the room and went to search for her, decided to give her an earful for making him wait for so long, but stopped dead on his tracks when he reached the laboratory and saw her through the slightly open door.

She was resting her head on one of the tables, and for anyone else it may seem that she has fallen asleep, but he knew her better than that. He entered the room quietly and got closer to her, but she didn't notice.

"Hange." He called her name softly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Shut up, please", was her response. He frowned at that. He hadn't been wrong, she wasn't asleep. Still, there was something off.

He found out what it was when she got up. Or, more accurately, _tried_ to get up. He recognised the type of stumbling that she was doing.

"Are you drunk?" He asked her incredously. He was well aware that his eyes must have been more open than usual.

"Nooo..." Came her slurred response. So she _was_ drunk.

Levi stared at her in disbelief. This woman was going to be the death of him, which was kind of ironic, since he spent his life fighting giantic creatures potentially stronger than him, with a high chance of being crushed, smashed or eaten. But no, he wasn't going to die by a titan. In his grave stone they will write "Death by Hange".

"I just found that bottle that we had saved for an especial occasion, and... Well, tecnically, today _is_ and especial occasion." She looked at him with a half smile, and it looked somewhat sad.

He wrecked his brains trying to understand what she meant by that, and just when he was about to give up and blame it on the alcohol, it dawned on him.

Well. Fuck.

"Shit, Hange, I'm so sorry." He found himself apologizing, and he trull was sorry. "I completly forgot which day it was, I-".

"No. It's OK", she interrupted him. "I normally start bugging you about it weeks before, but I just didn't feel like it this year."

"That's bullshit. What on Earth could stop you from making a giant fuss about you birthday, just like every other year?"

He was being entirely honest. For as long as he had known her, she had always celebrated her birthday. It wasn't to draw attention to herself, or to receive the mandatory gifts. No. She just loved to use it as an excuse to have a party and cheer everyone up. Because even in her day, she couldn't stop thinking about everybody else.

But this year she hadn't planned anything crazy like in previous years. She hadn't asked him if he could clear everyone's schedules for that day. She hadn't even reminded him what day it was.

Levi helped her get to her room and change into her pijamas, which consisted in an old oversized shirt that she no loger remembered who she had stolen it from. She fell on her bed then, and as Levi tuckled her in, he felt a certain frustration take over him.

She had always used her birthday as an excuse to let others have fun, even if it was only for a day. She had never asked for anything in return. And now she ahd spent that day alone and, possible, clearly, very sad, because none of them cared to remember the date.

"Hey," he said softly, leaning a little over her, "you should have taken that bottle upstairs and share it, at least."

"You wouldn't have liked it, it was awful."

"Why did you drink it, then." He run his fingers through her long, silky hair. Luckily, she had bathed that morning. And not because he had made her, but on her own free will.

"Because."

With that answer, she stayed quiet for a while, and Levi almost thought she had drifted off to sleep, but she spoke again, suddenly.

"I didn't make a fuss over the date like every year because I don't think we have anything to celebrate. Not this time."

Levi actually groaned out loud at that.

"For heaven's sake, Hange, not this self-loathing crap again, I beg of you." He meant it. It wasn't the first time he had had to cheer her up in the last few months. He still remembered how she had broken down when Historia told them about her pregnancy.

"You know I'm right. Do you really think the kids would have been up for anything the way things are right now?" She turned around and look at him, still leaning over her while sitting on the edge of the bed. "Historia is in the second half of her pregnancy, and she's not having an easy time, from what we know. We're pretty sure de Marleyans are planning the definitive attack on us, and on top of all of that, we have no fucking idea of where Eren is, or what the hell was he thinking when he left."

"I'm gonna kick the fuck out of that brat when I get my hands on him" Levi murmured under his breath.

He looked Hange in the eyes —well, eye— and made it his business to cheer her up once more.

"Still. We should have celebrated in some way. Maybe at dinner, all of us together, you and me and the brats. And a cake too." He smiled warmly at her and got a few strands of hair out of her eyes. "We would even be celebrating right now, just the two of us, if you hadn't gotten wasted over that cheap, horrible liquor."

At the sugestive tone of his last sentence, Hange rose an eyebrow.

"I'm not _that_ wasted, you know." She teased hin back. A glint of mischief had appeared in her eye. "If you want to celebrate my birthday so much, we still can."

With that, she reached out to grab the collar of his shirt and pull him to her. And even though Levi had no intention of giving into her shennanigans, he complied just a little and let her claim his lips with hers.

The kiss started as a pressing of her mouth against his, but then, like it almost always happened, they started to get more into it, and they both opened their mouths to give —and have— better access to he other's tongue.

Hange tried to get closer to him, and he could feel that familiar tingling in his lower abdomen, as her hands roamed over his shoulders and his hair, her fingers gettin tangled in it.

He let himself get a little lost in the sensations the kiss was giving him, enjoying the feeling of having her so close.

It didn't matter how many times they did this, Levi always felt like he was suddenly floating, like he was in a perfect world, with no worries and no responsability to lead the Eldians to victory. He just felt content, and in love.

He repositioned himself on top of Hange, deepening the kiss, if that was even possible, still fully clothed and with the covers of the bed still between them. Hange seemed to be bothered by this, as he could feel her trying to pull them down at the same time she used her other hand to pull him closer to her.

He smiled to himself, knowing her actions were futile. He might be in love with her —he was, he had been for so long, and the realization had been both a shock and a relieve when it had hit him— but he certainly wasn't gonna take things further tonight, not when she was drunk and feeling down.

When he felt her hands starting to slide down his torso to arrive at his belt, he grabbed her wrists and broke the kiss, leaving her panting and looking confused, with her only eye darkened by desire.

"Stop right there, you perv," he teased her, "I'm not gonna let some drunk chick get her way with me, who do you think I am?"

"Haha. You're so funny, Levi, really. Don't know why you insist in keeping that grumpy act of yours up, when you have the soul of a comedian."

She was clearly annoyed by the sudden interruption of her attempts. She even tried pouting a little. It wasn't like it hadn't worked in the past. But he wasn't giving in and she decided to let it go.

"Can you at least stay with me tonight?" She stared up at him while running the tip of ther fingers along his jaw line. "I promise I'll be good," she added when he arched and eyebrow.

"I guess I can do that."

Levi got up from the bed and got undressed to his boxers before he slided under the covers of her bed next to her. Hange immediatly went to hug his middle and rest her head on his chest. She looked content in that moment, even if she hadn't gotten _exactly_ what she had wanted.

Seeing her so peaceful minutes after her outburst made Levi's heart warm, as he felt the weight of her burden being lifted, even if it was just for one night. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. He breathed in her hair, taking in her scent, and placed a kiss on top of her head, just to rest his cheek on the same spot the next moment.

"Happy birthday, Hange" he whispered.

"It would be trully a happy birthday if you weren't such a prude and had let me have my way." Her reply was somewhat hostile, but her tone was playful.

"Well, it was an _almost_ happy birthday, then." He smiled when he felt her snort. "We'll have plenty of time to do whatever it was that you wanted to do later. When you're sober."

Hanger looked up at him and smiled widely.

"You promise?"

Levi leaned in and gave her a brief, sweet kiss.

"Yes, I promise."

He couldn't be sure if the dreamy look in her face wasn't in part the alcohol's doing, but it was enough to let him know that he had, at least, saved the last moments of her birthday.

With a happy smile on his face himself, he drifted of to sleep, with his precious women in his arms.

 **This came a little more angsty than what I intended. It's just that I'm sure that Hange is having a really hard time dealing with everything and everyone, so I keep having her breaking down a little so that Levi can go and comfort her.** **I hope you enjoyed it, constructive reviews are always welcomed.**


End file.
